Hold Me
by Alyssa Tolensky
Summary: Ash is having a hard time getting to sleep and has a flashback of when his dad threw him out. Luckily, Derek is willing to comfort him. Implied Ash/Derek. ONESHOT Rated T for language.


**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing pertaining to "I'm in the Band". All characters belong to Disney. This was just a cute idea I had in my head.**

Ash's head was swimming as he lay in bed on the top bunk above his two band mates. He tossed and turned, but couldn't seem to find a comfortable position. He rustled onto one side, sighed and then threw himself onto his other side. He closed his eyes, but shot them right back open to roll onto his back. He closed his eyes, but found that they just refused to stay shut. He flopped onto his stomach with a soft groan and threw his blanket over his head.

'Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep!' Ash yelled to himself in his head. Thankfully, his eyes stayed shut this time and he fell into a deep sleep.

It was the eighties in his dream. Ash, was a sophomore in high school. As he walked into his house after walking home from school, he nervously glanced around in search of his disapproving parents.

"Hello? Anyone home?" he called out. Silence was his only response. He let out a sigh of relief as he shut the door behind him and headed towards his chaotic bedroom. He casually tossed his backpack onto his bed, allowing his recently failed exam to fall from his bag along with several other papers. Ash smiled with delight as he grabbed his favorite set of drumsticks from the nightstand and sat behind his cherry red drum kit.

He smirked as he slapped his sticks together to get a beat going before he pounded out a heavy beat on the drums. The cymbals sang as they rarely get the opportunity. Usually, at least one of Ash's parents was home and refused to let him play on his drums the way he was at the moment. But today, was a lucky day. His arms seemed to have a mind all their own as he played to his heart's content. The world fell away as he imagined playing for millions of screaming fans.

The lights shone only on him as he played. The sweat starting to gather on his forehead. He paid no mind to the pain began to feel on his palms. It was a special moment and he needed to forget his crappy day he had just survived at school.

Suddenly, his dad burst in the room, although Ash hadn't noticed. His dad almost jumped onto the drum set as he yanked away Ash's sticks.

Ash jumped in surprise and immediately began to apologize.

"Dad! I-I…when did you get home?" Ash stammered. His dad's furry clear on his face.

"I've BEEN home! I was in the office on the most important phone call of my life and what do I hear?" His voice getting louder as he continued. Ash's eyes started to well up with tears. "I hear my idiot son banging away on this obnoxious noise maker and nearly got me fired!"

Ash hung his head. "It's not an obnoxious noise maker…" he mumbled. His dad's eyes widened.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Nothing, sir." The teen replied irritated. His dad nodded and turned to leave, Ash's drumsticks still clutched in his fist.

"That reminds me, Ashley…" his dad turned back to him. Ash frowned. He hated being called by his full first name. "Have you gotten that math test back yet?" he asked. Ash gave a nervous smile and shook his head.

"No, sir. I haven't gotten my math test back." He chuckled. "I mean, it's not like I failed it or anything." His smile dropped as he quickly tried to think of a way to cover up what he had just said. "I mean, I studied for it and everything. How could I fail?" he gave a reassuring smile and a nervous laugh thinking his dad had no idea he was lying. His dad quirked an eyebrow and decided to let it go. It was obvious he was covering up something, but decided it didn't matter right now. He'd find out about it eventually. Finally, to Ash's relief his dad started to leave his room again.

"No more drums right now, alright? I have to get back to my phone call, so why don't you work on your homework." His dad suggested. Ash nodded as if he understood., but most likely he would just kick back on his bed and play videogames. "Why can't you be more like your sister?" he spoke under his breath as he stepped on a piece of paper on the floor. Ash's heart sank as he realized, his father had just stepped on his exam.

Ash gulped as his dad picked up the piece of paper. His calm face expression turned to rage.

"Ashley Stephen Tyler!" he yelled turning back to his son. "You lied to me! What the hell is this!" he screamed wadding up the exam and throwing it directly at Ash as hard as he could! "Not only did you fail the test, you fucking lied to me!" He added hitting Ash upside the head.

"Ow!" Ash hollered. "Dad I'm sorry! I didn't mean….I'll try harder next time-"

His dad put his hands up in surrender. "You know what, I don't care! I don't want to hear your excuses any more! That's the final straw Ash! You are the biggest idiot I have ever known! I swear all you care about is your damn drumset! I curse the day you brought this shit home!" his dad paused as Ash's hurt expression turned to anger. "You know what? I'm taking your drum set and it's getting thrown away!"

Ash leapt up out of the seat behind his set. "You can't! It's my set! I paid for it with my own money!" he defended.

"I don't care! I won't have my son waste his time by playing haphazardly on the drums!"

"Dad, it's not a waste of time! I want to be a famous drummer!" Ash yelled.

"No your not!" his dad started to take apart the set. Ash had reached his boiling point and shoved his dad away.

"Don't you dare touch my drums again!" he yelled. His dad was slightly taken aback before he became even angrier.

"You fucking touch me like that and your ass is out of here! You hear me?" his dad yelled.

"Fine!" Ash screamed as he grabbed drum bit, by drum bit and put them in the back on his car, all awhile his dad yelled at him and told him what a failure and a disappointment he was.

"Ashley!" he dad yelled as he followed his son back to his room. "Are you listening to me?"

"Perfectly." He replied in a heavily uncaring tone. His dad paused.

"I want you to get out. Right now." His dad demanded. Ash had already started packing up his clothes and tore down one of his favorite Twisted Sister posters.

"Gladly." Ash replied going back out to his car and throwing his stuff in the backseat. His dad stood there as Ash climbed in and started up the car. As he began to pull out of the driveway, he rolled down his window and stuck his head out. "By the way dad, fuck you!" he yelled, flipping him his ring finger. His dad rolled his eyes.

"It's the middle finger, you jackass!" his dad called. Ash realized his mistake and quickly corrected it flipping his dad his middle finger before rolling up the window and speeding down the street.

Now the question was, where was he supposed to go?

Suddenly, Ash woke up from his dream. He sat up in bed and brushed his hand through his still fairly spikey hair. A part of him wanted to cry, but another part of him was mad, mad at his father for treating him the way he did. Not to mention he wasn't sure how to feel about him since his dad recently passed away. Good riddance?

Ash carefully climbed out of bed and stood beside a sleeping Derek in his bunk. Ash smiled and gently shook Derek. The brit moaned and rolled over and groggily opened his eyes to see Ash crouching down in his footy pajamas staring at him.

"Ash?" Derek asked glancing over at the glowing red numbers of the digital clock on the desk on the opposite side of the room. "It's 3 o' clock in the morning." Derek complained rubbing at his eyes.

"I know, but…I had a dream…flashback thing…about my dad." Ash explained. Derek sighed. "It was when he threw me out." Ash continued. Derek still said nothing. "Can I sleep with you in your bed?" Ash asked sweetly. Derek groaned.

"I guess so." He replied scooting over make room for him. Ash quickly climbed in and threw the velvet sheet over him. To Derek's surprise, Ash wrapped his arms around him and nuzzled his head in his chest. Derek was ready to tell him off, but he just looked too happy.

Derek shook his head with a smile and wrapped his arms around him. It reminded him of how right after Ash's dad threw him out, Ash stayed at Derek's house until the guys got their own place and dropped out of high school.

Much to Ash's delight, Derek was there to comfort and hold him then, and he was still there to comfort and hold him now.


End file.
